Delegates at the recent Open Source Impact 2006 conference in Sandton heard how the Geek Freedom League, which aims to promote open source software (OSS), has attracted 3 400 members in the two years since its inception.
Thomas Black, director of Babelgeek Technologies, which was contracted by open source foundation Go Open Source to manage the league, said members of the league are supplied with 10 Open Office CDs and four Ubuntu Linux CDs each and encouraged to distribute the software.
About 120 members have installed OSS on 10 or more computers, he added.
He believes the league is more than just a "geeky thing", saying it helps grow the number of South Africans who are proficient at installing, supporting and using OSS, which will make businesses more inclined to consider OSS in the workplace.
"Businesses will often say no [to migrating from proprietary to OSS] because they think employees will not be able to use OSS."
Incentives for members to install OSS on 10 or more machines include reimbursements for the first 60 members to complete level one of the Linux Professionals` Institute exam, and the first 15 to complete level two. Free courseware for the International Computer Driving Licence exams will also be made available.
"We`re not trying to make any money," noted Black, "it`s a non-profit campaign with the goal of growing OSS awareness in SA."
He added that random verifications make sure members submit honest reports to the organisation.
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